The Faculty of Theology of the Orthodox University of Congo is located in the community of Mont-Ngafula in the capital of the country, Kinshasa. As its construction continues, it attracts a number of workers, many of whom are Orthodox and live with their families in the surrounding area. Thus their children have the opportunity to attend daily vespers in the school’s church and, as a result, they are joined by other children of their age who are not Orthodox. At the end of Vespers, it is customary to distribute candy to all the children, ages 3-12, as a small offering for their participation in the Divine Worship. Observing this practice, Fr. Nikiforos Mikrajananitis, a professor of the School, suggested that the children be indoctrinated by our students, so that the students could be educated by delivering religious education lessons and the children could be taught the truths of the Orthodox faith. Fr. Nikiforos implemented this way of approaching children in the Ecclesiastical Lyceum of Argyrokastro with very positive results, where the students of the last two classes of the Lyceum went on excursions to the surrounding villages and gathered the children, teaching them simple lessons of the Christian faith. In the case described, the teaching was in the local Lingala language and sometimes in French. It includes stories from the Old and New Testaments and religious chants which the children sing happily at the end of the lesson: Le Seigneur m’ aime, ll est à moi. (The Lord loves me, he is in me.) Or even: Savez-vous c’est qu’ il y a un? Nous savons c’est qu’ il y a un. ll y a un seul Dieu, qui regne dans lex cieux. (Do you know there is one? We know that there is one. There is one God who dwells in the heavens) So in the last days of June 2009 the average number of children attending the classes was 25, of which about half came from Orthodox families. And the rest? The rest come from heterodox families who allow them to attend Orthodox catechism classes. The end of the courses took place on July 4, 2009, after the Vespers celebrated in honor of St. Athanasius of Athos, who was celebrated the following day. Gifts and souvenirs were distributed and the children received the blessing of the attending hierarchs, Archbishop Ignatius of Central Africa and Bishop Meletius of Colosse. It was a fine event in view of the inauguration the following day of the Church of St. Athanasius of Athos, patron of our Theological School. Hopefully these children will be the future parishioners of the parish that will be formed around the School and possibly our future students and clergy? Let us hope so with the hope that they will also emerge as citizens of the heavenly kingdom. D. Vamvakas, Kinshasa, 4/7/09
